Page 27 - FWG Issue 5 June 2024

Animals Matter

HAS YOUR PET TRAINED YOU?

he job of an Animal Behaviourist her up and plop her on the counter? Well, finishes said cup of coffee. Watch the
is to observe behaviour. Not she has trained you to do that. I overhear look on your dog’s face when you do this.
just the animals but that of conversations where people wonder how After continually changing your routine,
Tthe owners who live in the their “separation anxiety” pet knows they his anxiety levels will come down as he
household as well. In a lot of cases, are about to leave the house, and I have cannot predict the sequence of events.
we see owners reinforcing problem a little chuckle. I can imagine the routine
behaviour inadvertently. Due to their that happens before that owner leaves. I see how easily our pets can manipulate
survival instincts, animals adapt to their us. Let’s take the case of the beautiful
environments and soon start reading the Let’s pretend I’m a dog. I look at the Husky who would always go and get
people living in the home. Animals figure events that occur before my owner under the family’s visitors’ car when they
out who the good cop or the bad cop is, leaves. For example, the owner has a were about to leave. The owner would
who can be manipulated, and who is the shower, gets dressed, goes to the kitchen, have to entice him out from under the car
easiest to train. Yes, animals train their makes coffee, and grabs the car keys. with treats. “I don’t know why he doesn’t
owners. At this point, as the dog, I know exactly want my visitors to leave; it drives me
what will happen – my owner will walk nuts!” Well, he has trained you, hasn’t he?
Have you ever wondered why your dog out the door and leave me alone. We have I reply. He knows you will give him treats
hangs around one side of the dinner conditioned them to predict a sequence if he goes under the car. But, you have
table whilst they would never dare of events. We would, therefore, need to inadvertently reinforced a behaviour.
attempt to beg where you are sitting? counter-condition them to that sequence.
(out of sight, out of mind). Or wonder Example: The owner takes a shower, gets We need to give our pets a break and
why every time your cat walks past the dressed, goes to the kitchen, makes understand that often; we need to look at
feeding station, she waits for you to pick coffee, grabs keys, sits in the lounge, and our own behaviour to change theirs.

Jeanette Furstenburg is a Certified
Animal Behaviourist. She holds a
Diploma in Companion Animal
Behaviour (DipCABT) with distinction
and is a full member of the COAPE
Endorsed Association of Applied Pet
Behaviourists and Trainers International
(CABTi), which is a member of the UK
Dog Behaviour and Training Charter
2024 and the International Companion
Animal Network (ICAN). In addition, she
is a member of the South African Board
for Companion Animal Professionals
(SABCAP).

For more information call 082 445 8422,
email: jeanette@animalsmatter.co.za or
visit: www.animalsmatter.co.za

Photo by Kev Costello
Fourways Gardens • 25 • June 2024